The Orioles are still chasing a simple checkpoint before anything bigger comes into view: get back to .500.
At 56-59, they remain stuck short of that line after Thursday’s 4-1 loss to the Los Angeles Angels, a defeat that kept them from moving within a game of break-even. That’s become a frustrating pattern. Since June 5, Baltimore has gotten within two games of .500 three separate times, and each time the next game has pushed them back again.
Manager Craig Albernaz put it plainly before Thursday’s game: “The only thing important is winning today and keeping ourselves in the wild-card race,” manager Craig Albernaz said before Thursday’s game. “That’s the only thing that matters, and I think once you get into the playoffs, no one really cares about your record. You’ve just got to get in.”
Now comes the part that will tell a lot about the Orioles’ second-half push.
Friday starts a 10-game road trip, their longest of the season, with three games against the Texas Rangers, three against the Twins and four in Tampa Bay. Texas is in the third wild-card spot, Minnesota is in the race too, and the Rays own the best record in the American League. After that, Baltimore comes home for three games against the Yankees beginning August 18, then three more against the Rays.
Those 16 games figure to say plenty about whether this surge can last.
“We won the series. We had two really good games against them,” said Brandon Young, who took the loss Thursday. “The third one, it’s whatever.
“We’re still in a good spot. Some big games coming up, so I think it’s going to light a fire under us. I think we’re going to play some good ball the next week-and-a-half.”
The timing isn’t easy. This week hit the clubhouse hard after the Orioles lost starter Dean Kremer, reliever Tyler Wells, outfielder Taylor Ward and, most unexpectedly, catcher Adley Rutschman.
Baltimore did get a favorable first matchup after the deadline, facing the Angels and winning two of three, but the mood in the room still changed.
“Obviously, it was a tough, tough day on the deadline,” outfielder Dylan Beavers said. “We lost really good players and good teammates.
But just like them, they’re going to push forward and try to win every night for their respective teams. I feel like we kind of have to, unfortunately, got to go about it as business as usual and try and win every night.
Yeah, same kind of deal as before now.”
Albernaz said he understands why the group would feel the blow.
“Everyone’s emotional,” Albernaz said. “That’s what makes them great.
The best athletes in the world. That’s what got them to this point.”
Baltimore added three new faces: reliever Alex Hoppe, who came over in the Ward deal; catcher Carlos Narváez, part of the Rutschman trade; and outfielder Christian Franklin, who just finished his first major league series.
They may help, but they don’t come with the same recognition as the players who left. Albernaz said that matters in a clubhouse, even if it’s part of the business.
“Even if you’re ‘buying’ and you’re bringing in players, that clubhouse environment is going to be different because you’re either adding someone you don’t know and you have to get to know them,” Albernaz said. “Or when you add someone, someone else on the team has to go. With our guys, you want to acknowledge the emotions - they’re real, lean into them.”
For now, though, the message is about the day in front of them, not the stretch ahead.
“I think every game’s important right now,” Albernaz said. “I know it’s kind of redundant at this point, but every game we play is important.
We’ve got to try and figure out how to win each game. We can’t overlook today’s game and worry about the road trip.
The road trip’s going to happen.”
In Other News...
Orioles Return In Adley Rutschman Trade Is Turning Heads Early
The Orioles return in the Adley Rutschman trade is already drawing attention for how quickly it has settled in at its new home. The player at the center of that package, Enddy Azocar, arrived in the organization at the Trade Deadline and has wasted little time making an impression since landing with High-A Frederick.
Azocar has been productive all season across multiple minor league levels, carrying a .293/.345/.550 line through 88 games in 2026. The early results in Frederick only add to the intrigue around a player the Orioles are clearly hoping can keep building momentum as he works his way through the system. [Read more 🡒]
Orioles Fans Have A Bigger Gunnar Henderson Fear After Adley Trade
Gunnar Hendersons reaction to Adley Rutschman being traded was easy to understand. The two were close friends and former roommates, and Henderson said he was saddened to see one of the faces of the Orioles moved out of Baltimore. For fans, the bigger concern is what the deal says about the direction of the roster and whether the club is entering a stretch where familiar core pieces may not stay together for long.
The unease only grows with Hendersons own future hanging out there. He is represented by Scott Boras and is scheduled to reach free agency in 2028, which already put his long-term status on the radar before any of this recent uncertainty. A report from Buster Olney added another layer to the anxiety around Baltimores plans, leaving Orioles fans to wonder whether the teams most electric young player could be next in a cycle that has already started to change the look of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Blaze Alexander Could Give The Orioles A Boost Sooner Than Expected
Blaze Alexander is already moving back onto the field quicker than the Orioles might have expected after a left-hand injury slowed him in mid-July. He has resumed playing catch for the first time since the fracture and said he is pain free, a welcome update for a team that has valued his ability to move around the diamond and give the roster some flexibility.
Craig Albernaz has made it clear the Orioles see Alexander as more than just another depth piece, pointing to his defensive versatility and what he can add once he is fully back. The next step is getting him into hitting again, and while the timetable still has some moving parts, the early signs suggest Baltimore may not have to wait long to find out how soon he can help. [Read more 🡒]